Chapter Five ~Serenity~

Curious faces surrounded us as my master and I waited to meet with the infamous Lord of Tentusa. The guards that had led us into the meeting hall of the large stone manor stared at my master in awe, admiring him and his heroic deeds that had been explained upon our arrival. Staff members started gathering in the darkened hallways glancing on with awed expressions. Whispered rumors flowed through the hollow hallways of the handsome young noble who had saved the young maiden Victoria.

My master stood tall and confident amidst the dully-decorated room, a glamour of magic concealing his vampiric appearance. Gold had replaced the cold silver color of his hair that was gathered behind him into a long hanging ponytail, his perfect tanned complexion was now a creamy white to reflect someone of higher standing. The type that didn't need to venture into the sunlight because they had others to do it for them. It was laughable, most nobles acted like the vampires legend spoke so often about. Then there were those eyes of his, the color now fashioned into the most entrancing bright blue. A blue that covered the deep crimson, masking him in innocence, but I could see through the falseness. I could see the truth behind them, the whirls of darkness on the outer edges of the innocence where the former bloody color seeped through and faded into royal plum. A combination of good and evil. Good were his promises, evil were their fruition.

An Adonis stood before these people, a perfect example of the gods’ true perfection, the gilded outer shell of twisted darkness and me at his side. Cloaked in yards of fabric and a shadowed hood per his instructions. My eyes now resembled the blue in his to better hide my true nature. All of this was just another way for him to claim dominance over me. My looks could not compare to the allure of his. Still he wanted not a single eye to fall upon my body in a way that might suggest impure thoughts, and he would be reading all of them. Seeping into every mortal’s mind within the room, busying himself with sifting through their mangled internal chatter. It gave me a chance at mental peace for once.

The rumoring whispers silenced at the sound of a large heavy door opening at the far end of the room, from which thundered heavy steps of dominance and authority. A man towering over most of the on-lookers marched in with broad shoulders, rough bearded features, and the softest brown eyes I had ever seen. They held a glimmer of suspicion as they looked to us. Maybe there was hope for this city yet.

Behind him followed the sandy-haired boy I had battled the night before, he was dressed more knightly this morning. A flashy show since he didn't have an ounce of skill, I had overpowered him with but a fraction of my mortal abilities. He looked like a child that had snaked his way to the top. I could sense the deception within him as he walked closer. It was something the young Victoria couldn't possibly know about as she tagged along behind him like a love struck fool. Dark heavy circles had formed under her eyes and her already pale skin had taken on a ghostly complexion, a reaction to Master's feeding and energy that he had infected her with. It would only be hours now until she was completely under his influence.

The small collection of mortals marched toward us, casting suspicious glances our way. I could feel my master evaluating them, shifting his casual gaze from the lord to the boy, and finally to his prize. Pleasure rolled off him when his eyes scanned her form, his pride spilled over our mental link. That was his new torture for me. It sent my blood into a raging boil.

When it comes time I will kill that bitch myself! my creature growled in my core, stirring with swift reaction to the jealousy that raged inside me.

I focused the new energy I had gained from the rouges' blood on not lashing out at the girl. I tried my best to smooth the waking creature within when panic hit me. A great panic that bit at my chest, it gripped me and then formed into a seething anger. As intense as the emotion was it felt hollow, empty, and disconnected from me. Master, my mind whispered. I glanced up at him. His stance had gone stiff, tension creasing his shoulders. Then I saw her, the figure approaching from another open door. Tentusa was full of surprises.

Her strides were wide and elegant as she extended each leg with effortless grace, bending slightly to take another step. The large muscles in her thighs flexed under her small frame as she moved. Standing taller than all the rest, she even towered over my master taking her place behind the Lord. Clad in tight dark blue attire that was made for flexible combat she looked at us, her olive complexion so out of place compared to the others. Pale green eyes looked nearly devoid of all emotion, and her ghost white hair was pulled back tight and fastened behind. Her ears held a slight rounded point, much like my own when not in this glamoured state. As if those features did not declare her in that moment, the stark white tattoo, among many others, under her left cheek shaped into a form of some type of “P” like symbol, did. An expression of her heritage that all of her kin wore with great pride. Seeing the familiar brand sent a burn to the mangled looking scar at the back of my neck. I had the same symbol when I was young but not anymore.

Opsona.

The very race my master had eradicated from this land centuries before, the very ones whose only purpose in life was to fulfill their oath to destroy all dark creatures. To restore light to the world through ruthless means, making them not saints but a necessary evil. It was an endless battle they fought and it had lasted through countless millennia. They were cunning, skilled, and deadly. This was a complication. Inside my mortal self beamed with twisted glee, this one single woman could put an end to all of this, including my master. She could put an end to me.

“You have done me a great service,” the lord began addressing Master, who in turn bowed in what would seem like respect. In fact it was more of an executioner bowing to their victim in mock knowledge of their imminent death.

Vondorian thanked him for the kind words and the charming started. Pointless conversation passed between the two men as the others looked on. The suspicion that had first riddled the Lord Davros's face was fading with each lie that passed my master's lips. He was skilled at charming mortals—skilled at charming anyone or anything. With or without his mental persuasion he had the gift of the tongue, smoothing his victim into a false sense of comfort like he had known them their whole lives. A skill usually reserved for devils. To me it sounded more like boring pointless conversation. Besides, the Opsona woman was far more interesting.

Her eyes traced Vondorian but her look held no admiration or fascination like the others. His vampire charm had no effect on her, and it made me jealous. How could she be so resilient to him? One of the grand masters to all in the vampire legions. This only intrigued me more. While her attention was focused on my master I tried to sneak into her mind, pushing pass the mental walls, which proved to be difficult. I was met with resistance, a force that pushed back and denied me access. It only solidified my determination to break in. Sweat started to form on my brow from the strain. I struggled to the point that pain flooded my temples, but I wasn't going to give up. I had to know how she was doing it, how could she be so strong against him.

A sensation slammed into my mind causing my perfect stance to falter a little as my knees buckled and my head hung forward in exhaustion. Pain gripped onto my body with stomach turning discomfort.

Are you all right? Master's voice asked inside my throbbing head, but I didn't reply.

The pain was worth it, she was an Elder. Pure blood. The oldest and most skilled ranking of the Opsona. They were so rare in this world where races mingled for survival. Stories about their terrifying skills were told as nightmares to young fledgling vampires and demons, and as the numbers of the Opsona slowly dwindled through the years Elders became a rank of legends. This explained it all as I watched her gaze on Vondorian. Those pale green eyes expressed a knowing. She couldn't see beyond his glamour, but she knew what he was. A gift of the Elders, they could sense things like us. They knew evil when it wandered close enough. This made her more of a threat.

Her all-seeing gaze shifted to me, a sudden feeling of complete exposure washed over my body. I felt naked and on display for all the mortals to see, to witness what I truly was despite the yards of soaking wet fabric that concealed my form. That pale gaze traveled up my body and peered into the depths of my shadowed hood, becoming more intense, fixed firmly on the features of my face, locked in deep concentration. Her lips parted with a sharp intake of breath. Her brow tensed, the muscle in her jaw clenched, and fear sparked in the corner of her stern eyes. The steady beat of my heart increased with her expression, quickened to an excited rate as she took a step back. Such an interesting reaction, both hers and mine. Did she know about me? Did she know what or who I used to be?

“You must stay, at least one night so I may repay you for your services,” the lord insisted, his arm already around my master's shoulders like they were old friends. So cunning.

In the short amount of time it took the Opsona to figure us out, my master had already charmed the lord into complete admiration. How had I lasted so long against those charms?

“No!” someone shouted. One of the guards that had first received us rushed forward. “He is not honorable, m'lord. Please send him away!” the man yelled.

His protest brought a smirk to my shadowed face. A sensitive. So rare to find and yet here he was. The city of Tentusa was proving to be a collection of the rare and strange, a focal point for every defense possible against things like us. This man was someone that could sense the disaster that followed in our wake though he couldn't know what we were, his intuition warned only against our intentions.

“Be silent!” the lord growled at the man before motioning for more guards to come and remove him. “You have raddled your last bit of nonsense.”

The lord's words sounded tired and repeated, this man must have voiced opinions much like this in the past. No doubt written off as the lunatic who had strange feelings that always seemed to come true. The others around him, those close might have learned to trust those feelings but with my master invading their wills, their trust was gone. Fleeting like their freedom with each moment we stood there in that room. It didn't surprise me when his friends came to carry him off as the lord requested, what did catch my attention was the Opsona. She could have reaffirmed the man's claims seeing as she held a great deal more standing in the city. Maybe some type of adviser by the way she had positioned herself behind Lord Davros, but silent she stood, gaze fixed back on my master.

More men moved forward to remove the guard as he fought to gain back his voice. He knew the danger that we presented, he had to by the way he battled against the men removing him. He struggled more as the others tried to pull him into the corridor leading out, fearing to hurt him, their grasps appeared weak and he broke free going right for my master. Hand on his sword he charged. The weapon had started to hum as it raised an inch from the sheath, but I silenced it. Upon the man before he could even fully draw the blade, my hand grasped his and thrust the weapon back into its sheath.

I moved on instinct, on core programming that had been ingrained in me since my immortal initiation. I didn't want to hurt this man but Lord Vondorian's safety came first, so I broke his wrist. A pain-filled howl echoed off the stone walls of the room. Unskilled footfalls of the sandy-haired boy followed the breaking of bones as he raced in my direction, his movements slow compared to a typical warrior. To me they were like a child's first steps, and I was at him before he could complete a full stride. Leaving the injured guard to rile in pain, I grabbed the boy's shoulders and tossed him to the ground. Air left his lungs from the harsh fall and I was on him. Perched on top of his chest with my sword lying across his neck. Terror stared back at me.

As I twitched my wrist to start the slashing motion to decapitate the child, a chill shivered through my body. Something cold and sharp pressed against my neck and a hand gripped my hair drawing my head back.

“Serenity!” I heard my master growl, snapping me out of the heated seconds that had just transpired. “Stay that sword!”

Withdrawing the blade from the boy's throat I watched relief replace the fear that had gripped him. My master’s words rattled off in the background in explanation for my actions, but they did not interest me, the lies that he would tell. Instead the Opsona woman with the dagger still at my throat had my full attention. Not because of the threat on my life, no I could take care of that. This silly dagger was of no major threat, but more to the point I had not heard nor sensed her movements. This was puzzling. She responded in quick reflex to my actions that were far beyond that of mortals. How? This was interesting and for once I was glad Master was able to secure our stay.

The woman's blade slid away from my throat teasing my flesh with its sharpened edge. My creature purred. It liked to play games. Her hot breath whispered against my ear as her grip jerked my head backward. “You have so much to learn little one.”